A journal about the things we do for love - leaving the comforts of home and going to live in a remote tropical island.

Friday, April 30, 2010

PROLOGUE

Wallis Island. Yep - I'd never heard of it either. That was until I met the man of my dreams. Sefo came from Wallis Island to Australia to study and because of this good sense to explore the land down under, it was possible for us to meet.

Now I'm going to live there. For 4 and a half months. Wonderful...Fanstic...How exciting....yep -everyone who I've told have said those words. And it is exciting. It is going to be an adventure. But its going to be a tough one.

I went to Wallis Island in January with Sefo - we stopped via Fiji for a week and lazed about on an island resort having a wonderful time. We found a place for our wedding in August (the Sofitel) and then headed to Wallis Island. Sefo was returning home to live for approximately 2 years. The visa he had while is Australia stipulated that he must leave Australia for 2 years. So he was returning home to find work. I was coming for a 2 weeks holiday to see the place and then I would return to Australia to work for a few months before I came back to Wallis to live with Sefo. Someone had to be employed -we have no money and a wedding to pay for!!

Sefo had told be bits and pieces about Wallis, although I hadn't seen many photos - but what I saw when I got there was bits of what I expected and pieces that I had no idea about!

For some reason Sefo found that it wasn't necessary to tell me that there was no hot water! Im no princess by any stretch but I do enjoy some water water in my shower - no matter how hot the destination is!!

Wallis is a tropical island - its French goverened (a bit like new caledonia -which most people have heard of!). They have lots of French come over and get paid a lot of money to work in the government jobs. Because of the French heritage they dont speak English there (and most dont really care to). Which is fine. Im a well travelled person and I dont expect to go to a foreign country and have the locals speak my language - I want to experience the culture as it is. But its still a shock when noone speaks any English!! Sefo had warned me about that and for the last year I had been attending French classes - first with a company and then with a small group. it was coming along ok and I had learnt the basics. So long as people spoke really slowly to me!! The only downfall of this committement to French is that the people of Wallis Island speak their own language - Wallisian. They all speak French, so would speak French to me (apart from Sefo's father who only wants to speak Wallisian) and then turn to each other and speak their native tongue. So my French wasnt going to improve as I wasnt being immersed in it as i had originally thought I would. So my plan when i return is to learn the local language (a bit like maori/tongan/samoan -with lots of F's, K's and vowels). Sefo's parents are retired so hopefully while Sefo is at work they can help me learn. fingers crossed anyway!